New Beginnings--Angel Series
by starseeker
Summary: Angel and Adam are paired together


  


Angel Part 2   


I've never been apart of what you would call the "In Crowd". And mostly I don't care. Mostly. There are just sometimes when I wonder what it would be like. Mostly I wonder about stuff like that when I see Adam Kagan staring at one of the popular girls or laughing at what one of his jock buddies said. But these moments are few and far between. I live in the real world, and from my perspective, It isn't very rosy. To all of them on the "Other Side " of the railroad tracks I am Angel Bannen, Bastard child, daughter of a whore, living on the poor side, good-for-nothing. What makes matters worse is that I go to a private school with some of our town's most influential people' s kids attending also. I think I would have died from how many times they called me Scholarship Scum if it wasn't for Ani. Anica Harper has money. Lots of it. But she doesn't flaunt it. She's genuine. And that's why she's my best friend. Which is why she was there on the day that I told her that Adam Kagan had been assigned my partner. We had just bee discussing the school "Rules" when all of a sudden he decides to walk toward us. Anica gave me the heads up and my breath caught in my throat. I could see his friends behind him, giving him confused looks as he walked past their usual table and headed towards ours. I counted the steps it took until I saw his breathtaking Hazel eyes peering down at me from my seat on the bench in the courtyard. "Hey." he said."Hey." I said back, really nervous, but trying hard not to sound like a total nebbish. Anica was giving him a look that could have frozen Niagara Falls but I guess he chose to ignore it."So..." he began, "I guess we have this um..thing to do for..um Mr. James."   
"Uh.yeah" I replied, my courage coming back to me. Mr Super-jock didn't seem to sure of himself. I figured he probably wanted to ask if there was some way that we could swich with someone else, which was fine with me.Even though I try not to let them get to me, being in the presence of someone considered to be the most popular person in school was kind of intimidating. "So..." He began again, "You wanna come over my house...or we could..go somewhere else?". For a minute there I was speechless. Adam Kagan was actually going to be my partner. I looked over to Anica but she was still staring at him like he was something stuck on the bottom her shoe. Then I heard her say, "It'd probably be better if you worked with someone else. One of your buddies or something. I'm sure you could pull it off."   
"I'd rather work with the person assigned to me." Adam replied icily, taking his eyes off of me for the first time and putting them on Anica .   
"Well, she doesn't want to work with you." Anica retorted.   
"I didn't hear her say that."   
'Well, she didn't-"   
"Hello!" I cut in. "I'm right here."   
Adam turned back to me expectantly. Everything in my mind was like, ' Tell him you can't do it! It's not going to work! you guys are too different!' But the first thing out of my mouth was "I think we should work at the library or something,"   
I knew Anica was staring at me. I could feel her eyes burning into the side of my face, but I forced myself to look at Adam. Suddenly a bright smile burst onto his face "Great. that's ..great. Um, maybe we should get started now?"   
"Um..okay." I said and got up from my seat. I could feel myself get up, but it was as if I was also out of my body, watching Adam and I walk, side by side through the courtyard. I could also feel everyone's stares. I tried not to let it bother me but I felt myself shrinking a bit inspite of myself.   
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When we reached the parking lot and over to Adam's porsche I whistled low. "You like?" Adam replied, an amused expression on his face. "Yeah, it's a pretty tight ride." I replied. Adam chuckled and opened the door for me, revealing the leather interior. "Pretty swank." I whispered and sat down.   
About ten minutes later we arrived at the Sandy Ridge library. The car had been filled with talk of music, books, and cars. I was surprised that we had so much in common and I told him. "I wasn't that surprised." Adam replied softly, looking at me in a way that made my head spin and my cheeks flush. "Well," I said, wanting to get out of the situation "we better get in the library." Adam gave me another quietly thoughtful look and nodded. When we walked through the doors I quickly inhaled the smell of paper, old and new, tuned my ears to the sound of papers rustling and pages turning. Adam looked at me again and I found myself talking. "I love the library." I whispered "The sounds, the smells.I could live here." I didn't know whether or not I was talking to myself or to Adam, but I continued. " I could never work here. I'd spend all my time reading the books instead of reshelving them. It's like giving an alcoholic a job in a bar." As we passed through the isles, picking up books here and there, a picture of Walt Whitman on a book caught my eye. I reached onto the shelf and pulled out the book "Leaves of grass" I whispered. Adam stopped looking and walking when I opened the book. "I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,/I am mad for it to be in contact with me."I read, blushing because I had realized the potency of those words. I suddenly felt the book being taken from my hand and strong arms circle my waist. I gasped slightly at the feeling of Adam's arms around me. He looked down at me, his hazel eyes half lidded, lips slightly parted. I felt his face move closer to mine and then our lips touched. Softly at first, just brushing, and then, courage growing on the other, our kiss grew deeper, more intense.Everything about him tasted sweet. My mind lost all coherent thought as we stood there, arms wrapped around each other, between rows and rows of books. 


End file.
